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Unnu lucky Puerto Rico ease up pon unnu.
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T&T recover from two goals down.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).
Trinidad and Tobago’s Senior Footballers showed some fight in front of newly appointed interim head coach Francisco Maturana to come from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw with Puerto Rico at the Juan Romel Stadium on Saturday night.
With Maturana observing from the stands, the T&T team, with two debutants in its starting team, Akile Edwards and Khaleem Hyland, were left shockingly 2-0 behind after 33 minutes. But a gritty second half showing with goals from Kerry Baptiste and a 70th minute equalizer from Joe Public defender Seon Power help T&T avoid defeat in its friendly which served as a warm up to the February 6 friendly international in Port of Spain against Guadeloupe.
For that encounter the “Soca Warriors” are expected to have some of its overseas pros spearheaded by Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones but on Saturday night there was much for Maturana and Anton Corneal to assess as the team, comprising of mostly home-based pros allowed the homeside to take charge in the first half.
The Puerto Ricans, preparing for next month’s World Cup qualifier against Dominican Republic, actually had the first two tries at goal inside the opening ten minutes. Peter Villegas ran on to hit a loose ball over bar from the inside right of the penalty box. Soon after Andres Cabrera volleyed over bar from a left side cross. Taylor Graham’s header also bounced over the top from a left side corner.
T&T allowed the Puerto Ricans to hustle around and took just over a quarter hour to settle down. The visitors first bit of inroad into the opposition goal came when Edwards played one into the box for Anthony Wolfe but an alert Josh Saunders was quickly off his line to close down the attack.
The opening goal arrived after a long clearance down the park from goalie Saunders led to Graham winning the header, allowing Kupono Low to latch on and hit low past Marvin Phillip.
Near the half hour mark, Hyland got up well to meet a Baptiste right side cross but his header on the far post was pushed over. Moments later Wolfe failed to get enough on an incoming right side delivery from Baptiste.
Soon after Puerto Rico got their second goal when Villegas’ free kick into the area from the right was nodded down by an unmarked Graham and Chris Mesaloudis was on spot to push the ball past an advancing Phillip from the six yard.
T&T upped their game in the second half and put the home team under pressure for longer periods. Andre Toussaint replaced Anthony Wolfe and it wasn’t too long after that T&T got a penalty for a handle ball inside the area. Baptiste stepped up and calmly put the ball into the left of the net as skipper Trent Noel and his men got just what they had been in search of.
T&T pressed and got a deserved equalizer when Power took his time to head down into the right of the net after a right side cross was played in for him.
Young Jabloteh striker Lester Peltier also came on in the second half, making his debut as well, and had a couple chances on goal. Toussaint also had an ambitions long range effort which dipped after it went over bar.
The team is scheduled in on Sunday night and will resume training next week leading into the Guadeloupe game. The overseas pros are carded to start arriving from next Sunday.
'
T&T recover from two goals down.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).
Trinidad and Tobago’s Senior Footballers showed some fight in front of newly appointed interim head coach Francisco Maturana to come from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw with Puerto Rico at the Juan Romel Stadium on Saturday night.
With Maturana observing from the stands, the T&T team, with two debutants in its starting team, Akile Edwards and Khaleem Hyland, were left shockingly 2-0 behind after 33 minutes. But a gritty second half showing with goals from Kerry Baptiste and a 70th minute equalizer from Joe Public defender Seon Power help T&T avoid defeat in its friendly which served as a warm up to the February 6 friendly international in Port of Spain against Guadeloupe.
For that encounter the “Soca Warriors” are expected to have some of its overseas pros spearheaded by Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones but on Saturday night there was much for Maturana and Anton Corneal to assess as the team, comprising of mostly home-based pros allowed the homeside to take charge in the first half.
The Puerto Ricans, preparing for next month’s World Cup qualifier against Dominican Republic, actually had the first two tries at goal inside the opening ten minutes. Peter Villegas ran on to hit a loose ball over bar from the inside right of the penalty box. Soon after Andres Cabrera volleyed over bar from a left side cross. Taylor Graham’s header also bounced over the top from a left side corner.
T&T allowed the Puerto Ricans to hustle around and took just over a quarter hour to settle down. The visitors first bit of inroad into the opposition goal came when Edwards played one into the box for Anthony Wolfe but an alert Josh Saunders was quickly off his line to close down the attack.
The opening goal arrived after a long clearance down the park from goalie Saunders led to Graham winning the header, allowing Kupono Low to latch on and hit low past Marvin Phillip.
Near the half hour mark, Hyland got up well to meet a Baptiste right side cross but his header on the far post was pushed over. Moments later Wolfe failed to get enough on an incoming right side delivery from Baptiste.
Soon after Puerto Rico got their second goal when Villegas’ free kick into the area from the right was nodded down by an unmarked Graham and Chris Mesaloudis was on spot to push the ball past an advancing Phillip from the six yard.
T&T upped their game in the second half and put the home team under pressure for longer periods. Andre Toussaint replaced Anthony Wolfe and it wasn’t too long after that T&T got a penalty for a handle ball inside the area. Baptiste stepped up and calmly put the ball into the left of the net as skipper Trent Noel and his men got just what they had been in search of.
T&T pressed and got a deserved equalizer when Power took his time to head down into the right of the net after a right side cross was played in for him.
Young Jabloteh striker Lester Peltier also came on in the second half, making his debut as well, and had a couple chances on goal. Toussaint also had an ambitions long range effort which dipped after it went over bar.
The team is scheduled in on Sunday night and will resume training next week leading into the Guadeloupe game. The overseas pros are carded to start arriving from next Sunday.
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